Today I’m posting the first “inspired by that trip” recipe I actually made – the day after he got back. Yes, tired, jetlagged, and just happy to be home, I dragged his ass to the grocery store to get ingredients for it. To be fair, he shouldn’t have shown me his photo and told me about what was in it. He knows what I’m like 🙂

This was developed based on the burger he actually ordered at G Counter, whereas the Tandoori one was based entirely upon a menu description. What he was attracted to about this burger in Ireland was that it’s SO different from anything he’s ever seen locally. Also: he’s addicted to beets.

We made this up as 2 giant burgers, and were full all day. It would definitely work as smaller burgers – 3 or 4 of them. Actually, I bet these would be super cute and elegant if done up as a tray of sliders!

This has many layers of flavour, all of which complement each other without being overwhelming. It’s a very satisfying burger! Additionally, this can be made gluten-free with the appropriate choice of bun (or exclusion of the bun, which is how I had it!)

In a small food processor, using a stick blender, or whisking by hand, blend together the goat cheese, heavy cream, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill until use.

In a medium saucepan, cover peas with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain well. Place cooked peas, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, and garlic into a food processor, blitz until smoothish. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill until use.

In a large bowl, combine lamb, onion, egg, garlic, cilantro, and spices. Gently use hands to get a really good mix going, making sure that everything is evenly distributed and well incorporated. Divide meat mixture into 2-4 evenly sized balls. Flatten each ball into a patty that is roughly the size of your burger buns – maybe a little larger.

Grill over medium heat until fully cooked.

To assemble:

Spread goat cheese on upper buns, pea hummus on lower buns. Place burger on lower bun, top with sliced beets and upper bun.

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Marie Porter

Marie is an award winning cake artist based in Minnesota's Twin Cities. Known as much for her delicious and diverse flavor menu as for her sugar artistry, Marie's work has graced magazines and blogs around the world. Having baked and designed for brides, celebrities, and even Klingons, Marie was proud to share her wealth of baking knowledge in her two cookbooks: "The Spirited Baker" and “Evil Cake Overlord”. Marie has also authored a book about her experiences surrounding the 2011 Minneapolis tornado: "Twisted: A Minneapolis Tornado Memoir"